A Bad Day at the Boars' Nest
by Jasmineisland
Summary: A bad day for Daisy stirs up how she really feels about the boys being gone.
1. Chapter 1

**This is the first Dukes story I've written in years. It's set at the** **beginning of season 5- the boys are off on the Nascar Circuit and Enos is off in LA. It may turn into more, but right now it's a one-shot. **

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Daisy surveyed the damage to the Boars' Nest and sighed. The fight had been slow to build, but once it started it had been fast and destructive. It was going to take hours to clean up and since Jerry, the bartender, was on his way to Tri-County ER with a broken nose, she was going to have to do it by herself. Making her way around the bar, she winced slightly. It had been an accident, but she'd ended up getting knocked into the bar and would probably have a good sized bruise on her back come morning.

Making a decision, she popped the top of a beer bottle and sat down on a barstool. 5 minutes give or take wouldn't make a big difference by 3AM. She shifted to a comfortable position and smiled when she thought of what Bo and Luke would have done if they'd seen the hit she'd taken. IF they'd been around. Of course, if they'd been around, the fight would have never happened. If they were still around, a lot of things would be different. Suddenly furious, she turned and flung the beer bottle against the wall.

"Woah!"

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" Daisy hadn't heard Cooter come in and she'd almost bounced her bottle off of his head as he was making his way to her.

"So just who are you that pissed at?"

"I'm not. Not really. I just………" Shrugging, she stared at him. "What brings you out here this late?"

"I was finishing up a job out front of the garage and heard a couple people headed home from here talking 'bout the ruckus. Thought I'd come and check up on ya." He brushed clutter off a table and put a chair up on it, letting her know he was there to help her. "Ya call the boys?"

"Why would I call them? They're in Richmond-" She stopped. "Oh, you mean Coy and Vance. Nope. They were here a couple of hours ago, but they were wiped out and went home to bed."

"So that's who you're upset with?" Cooter reached over the bar and grabbed two more beer bottles, handed her one, then sat on the barstool next to her. "If they'd known what was comin' they wouldn'a left, you know that."

"I knew, Cooter. But they left."

"Did you tell them there was trouble brewin' here tonight?" She didn't answer, and he thought about her first instinct being Bo and Luke when he mentioned calling 'the boys'. "Am I right in guessing that this is more about Bo and Luke?" Tears filled her eyes and Cooter moved to put his arm around her shoulders. "And I'm thinkin' that them missin' the 4001st fight in here isn't why you're cryin'."

She took a long drink of the beer and sighed again. "Don't get me wrong. I'm real proud of those boys. I'm glad they're out there doing what they always dreamed of doin'. And I'm glad Coy and Vance are here. We couldn't handle the farm without them. They're my cousins and I love them." A single tear slid down her face and her voice dropped to a whisper. "But I really miss my brothers."

Suddenly it hit Cooter just how hard Bo and Luke leaving had affected Daisy. She'd said good bye to them with a smile on her face, and she'd seemed really close to Coy and Vance quickly. Everybody had expected Jesse to take it hard, and Vance had told him how hard they were working to keep Jesse from missing them so much. But it occurred to Cooter that in all of this neither of them had ever mentioned how Daisy felt about them leaving. Including Daisy.

"Cooter, I wouldn'a HAD to tell them trouble was brewin' in here tonight. They would have known the second they walked in."

"I 'rekon they would have. But then they've known just about everyone in here since we was all kids."

Standing she walked away from him. "I'm not bein' fair, I'm not givin' Coy and Vance a chance, I'm bein' selfish, I know all that, Cooter. I don't need you to remind me."

"Daisy, I ain't remindin' you of anything. I'm just sitting here with a good friend that's havin' a real bad night. You're about most UNselfish person I've ever met. I don't think anybody has any idea how you're feelin' about all this."

"And they won't, right?" Her eyes met his. "You're right. I'm just havin' a bad night. I just wish one of them would have stayed tonight. Maybe. I have absolutely no idea how good they are at stoppin' a fight."  
"But Bo or Luke would'a put a stop to it, right?"

"It's not just fights and keepin' peace." She sighed again and finished her beer. "It's having people around that know me. I mean REALLY know me. The silliest little things seem to hit me the hardest. I sit down to the table in the morning, and Vance gives me black coffee with the sugar bowl. Bo or Luke know just how I like it. I go to do laundry and the good clothes don't smell like their aftershave. The timing on the General just never seems to sound as smooth after Coy messes with it. It's like even the General knows something's missing." She moved to the table Cooter had placed the chair on and placed another chair next to it.

In silence, they moved around the bar and cleared every table so they could move all the chairs up off the floor. Finally all that was left was the floor. And that was going to take a while.

As Daisy went for brooms, Cooter finally broke the silence. "So how did you get the fight to end?"

"Called Roscoe." Her tone told Cooter how not happy she was about that solution.

"Daisy, calling Roscoe to stop a bar fight is about like usin' a fuel tanker to put out a forest fire."

"Don't ya think I know that? What choice did I have? Poor Jerry tried, got his nose broke for his effort. It only took getting bounced off the bar once for me, -"

"Now hold on a minute, somebody hit you?" Cooter was instantly ready to go start another fight right then.

"No, I didn't get hit. Ernie hit Potter and Potter ended up takin' me with him into the bar. It was an accident. Well, not the Ernie hittin' Potter part, but the part where I ended up on the floor. I'm okay, but that's when I figured I had to call the Sherriff."

"And things got worse, right?"

"Yep. Roscoe shows up, shoots another hole in the ceiling, starts threatening to cuff and stuff everybody, and they all about trample each other gettin' out. Then Roscoe starts gettin' on me about keeping things under control and how it's somehow all my fault." She sounded like she was about ready to cry again, and Cooter reached over the bar and took two more beers.

Daisy shook her head. "I can't. Lord only knows how much Boss is gonna make me pay for, here, and I can't afford another beer."

"They's on me, girl." Smiling, Cooter popped the top of the bottles and handed one to her. "At least it wasn't poor ol' Enos in the middle of this."

Stopping, Daisy stared at him. "Don't be so sure, Cooter. He's got a fuse as long as the state of Georgie, but once he's fired up? He's a pretty tough boy to deal with."

"Are we talkin' about the same deputy?"

"You didn't see him when he got his hands on those bank robbers. The ones that got him that job in L.A. They was threatenin' me and he really handled 'em." Her eyes met Cooter's again and she sighed. "He's been writing letters. Lots of them. Three thousand miles away he can finally tell me things that he couldn't tell me when he lived three miles away."

"Is that a good thing or not?"

"I don't know. I mean, if he'd told me some of the things he's written to me…….."

"He wouldn't be in LA?"  
She shook her head. "I don't know. I wouldn't exactly have told him to not go. But what difference does it make, now? He's gone. Bo and Luke are gone. And I just miss them" Her voice cracked from the effort to withhold tears. "So much. I miss having Bo to talk to about anythin' that we were both afraid to tell Uncle Jesse or Luke." She smiled. "Bo would usually break down and tell Luke – not anything I'd told him, but if he told me something he was afraid to tell he eventually would. Luke would take one look at me and know something was on my mind. He'd ask, but not to push me, just to let me know he was there, ya know? And I know I used to say they annoyed me sometimes when they got real protective of me, but now that they're not here I miss knowing that they had my back."

"Like tonight?"

"Yeah. Like tonight. If they were in town they would have never forgiven me for calling Roscoe instead of them."

"Daisy, it's different with Coy and Vance – not just that they're different fellas. I mean that you were already growed up when they moved in. Luke and Bo got ya when all three of ya were kids. And girl, I gotta tell ya, ya don't exactly give anyone the feelin' that you need somebody watching your back."

Daisy knew what he was trying to do, but she couldn't help herself. "You're here. You got the feelin'."

Moving to her, Cooter hugged her. "I'm always here for ya. You know that. I ain't Bo or Luke. Or even Enos, but I'm here." Holding her against him, he grinned. "You know what? In about three weeks the boys are in Hotlanta. What say you and me go watch them race?"

Daisy screamed in his ear so loudly he winced. "Cooter! I would love to! You mean it? Just go?"

"Yep. Just go." Backing away from her a bit, he gently touched her face. "Anything to make you smile, Daisy."

"You know the thought of seein' the boys would do it. Thank you!" She kissed him quickly and threw her arms around his neck again.

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**So? One shot or story? I've had a request to 'go there' with Cooter and Daisy, but I can't decide. You decide for me. LOL.**

**Thanks in advance for the read. **


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the replies. I'm still undecided about parts of the next few chapters, but this one is ready.

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Chapter 2

"Daisy?" Coy knocked on her door. "Come on, girl. The chores ain't gonna do themselves."

Opening her eyes, Daisy vaguely remembered Jesse knocking on her door, but she had no idea how long ago. "Okay. I'll be out in a minute." She rolled over and stretched. A sharp pain ran across her back so quickly that she almost cried out. It was an instant reminder of the night she'd had. Finally she turned and looked at the clock. She'd been in bed for two and a half hours.

Jesse knew something was wrong before Daisy even appeared. She never had to be called more then once, and most of the time she was already stirring when Jesse knocked. When he'd asked Coy to knock on her door the second time, he wondered if he should have asked Coy to see if she was okay, not just go get her. One look at her and Jesse was sure that was exactly what he should have done. She looked exhausted and was moving very slowly to sit next to him at the table.

From where he was standing against the counter, Vance handed her a cup of coffee and the sugar bowl. Only Jesse noticed her almost annoyed glance at him before she thanked him. Before he could say anything, Coy came out of the bedroom and walked behind Daisy, patting her back as he did. "Let's get going."

Instantly, she arched her back and grit her teeth. "Dammit, Coy." After a second she realized what she'd said and lowered her head. "I'm sorry, Uncle Jesse."

"Start by telling me what's wrong with your back." His voice was soft, but left no room for argument.

"There was a big fight last night. I got knocked into the bar."

"Are you okay?" Coy's and Vance's voices overlapped.

"I'm sore. Probably got a bruise."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know." Coy's voice was soft.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you. There was no way for you to know." Daisy sighed and looked at Jesse. "Cooter and I were cleanin' up till about 3. I'm more tired then anything else right now."

"Cooter took care of it?" Jesse was concerned.

"No. I had to call Roscoe. Cooter heard about it and showed up later."

"You're sure you're alright?" Reaching for her hand, Jesse wasn't sure. "And I wanna know who hurt ya."

"I'm okay. It was an accident. Somebody hit somebody and they fell into me. Jerry got hit. I'm not even sure who did it. He was headed for Tri-County with a broken nose last I saw him." The last thing she needed was Jesse riled up at Ernie or Potter. Closing her eyes, Daisy leaned her head in her hand on the table.

"We'll split your share, Daisy. You get some rest." Vance looked at Coy, who nodded, and they went outside.

Jesse watched Daisy almost fall asleep sitting next to him. "Okay, the chores are taken care of, let's take care of you."

"Uncle Jesse, I'm-"

"I heard ya. 'I'm okay, Uncle Jesse.' That's your favorite answer when I ask what's botherin' ya. Now go lay down. I'll make a poultice for yer back."

Despite the pain, she jumped up. "That's okay. Really. I remember when you made it for Luke's eye. I swear I could smell it for a week."

He laughed. "Yeah, that one did smell worse then a polecat. I won't make it as strong this time." Walking past her to the cabinet, he winked at her. "We don't want the house to smell for a month, now do we?"

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"Hello?" Bo answered the phone in the hotel room and grinned when he heard Cooter's voice. "Hey, Buddy! What's up that ol' Coot would spend a dime to talk about?" He waved to Luke, who had just come in the door. He stopped smiling when he heard Cooter's reply. "What's up with Daisy?" 

"She'd flat skin me alive if she knew I was tellin' ya, but she's really missing her favorite cousins." Cooter told Bo all about the night before.

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"Okay, baby. Out with it." Jesse laid the rags across the deep bruises on her back and stroked her hair like he had when she was a child. 

"I'm fine. Just sore is all." If the smell hadn't been so bad, Daisy could have gone back to sleep.

"Are you sure that this is all from someone fallin' into ya?" There was a thick line of painful looking dark bruises across her shoulder blades.

"Yes, sir."

"You just stay down today, give this stuff a chance to work. Ya workin' tonight?"

"At 6."

"I guess I'll check with the boys and Cooter and make sure one of 'em is there."

"You don't need to, Uncle Jesse."

"Yes, I do. Otherwise I'll worry until I drive up there myself by 10." He sighed. "When you first started there I worried every night that some drunk would do somethin' to ya."

Daisy laughed. "Between Bo, Luke, Cooter, and Enos none of 'em ever got the chance."

"Till now."

"I'm fine. Please don't worry."

"I always worry. Ya never gave me any cause to worry about trouble, but that don't mean that I wasn't worried about ya all the same." He smiled and picked up the rags and the jar. "You get some sleep and when ya wake up I'll fix ya something to eat."

She was almost asleep before he closed her door behind him.

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"Cooters" Cooter answered the phone at the garage and smiled when he heard Luke at the other end. 

"Hey. We just called to let you know the tickets and passes are going out overnight in a couple of days. We sent them to the garage, so you can give them to her."

"Let me tell you, buddyro, you're going to make one pretty cousin very happy. How's about I bring her up Friday? Give you some more time with her." His voice actually dropped to a whisper. "She really needs to spend some time with you guys." He thought about it for a moment. "You might want to give Jesse a call. Give him a head's up on what's going on."

Luke agreed to do that, hung up the phone and turned to Bo. "You're right. Daisy must be in a bad way if Cooter is this worried about her."

"So what do we do about it?"

"Well I'd say you tear yourself away from that busy social schedule you got and we both clear the weekend to spend with her. Find out what's going on in her life that she's got Cooter so worried."

"You think it could just be that she misses us?" Bo's mind went to what he would feel like if he'd been left behind and Luke had left Hazzard with Daisy instead of him. "We talked to Uncle Jesse, but we never asked Daisy how she felt about us leavin' her like we did."

"Well, how many times did she tell us to go for it and how happy she was for us." Luke looked at Bo. "Which is exactly what Daisy would say, no matter how she felt. But, Bo, what could we have done? It's not like we could have turned this down."

"I know, cuz. I just wish she would have said something. We've talked to her a dozen times and she just says everything is fine." He sighed. "Or that one of us would have realized it. What do we do now?"

"We spend the weekend with her, call her more often and check up on her- without letting HER know we're checking up on her. We're in Talladega about 10 weeks after Atlanta. See if Cooter or Jesse will bring her over again if she wants to come."

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You know the drill- let me know how I'm doing so far. 


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